Corruption, economy Aquino’s ‘last two minutes’ agenda

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino 3rd pledged to dedicate his administration’s “last two minutes” to winning the fight against corruption and further improving the economy in the face of anticipated challenges and opponents who are determined to see his defeat.

In lining up government’s feats in 2013, Aquino’s New Year’s message also dealt on his continued campaign against misuse of public funds such as in the case of the controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

“Like in the game of basketball, we are entering our last two minutes. In the remaining chapter in our term, we will waste no time. Each Filipino’s significant contribution will ensure our victory in achieving progress,” the President said.

He highlighted his administration’s all-out campaign against corruption which, he claimed, led to remarkable economic growth. He said the country improved 29 notches in the Transparency International Corruption Index this year from 134th place in 2010 to 105th.

“Justice is also within reach against those who are being prosecuted for abusing PDAF. We continuously lay out mechanisms to ensure that the people’s money are spent for the people alone,” Aquino stressed.

Through “good governance,” he said the Philippines achieved the highest recorded gross domestic product (GDP) growth in Southeast Asia. For the first time, he added, the country won investment grade status from three renowned credit ratings agencies, which meant lower interest rates for loans that entice investors to come in.

“As one nation with a collective goal, we showed our resolve this year in the face of overlapping challenges. We really had several victories in 2013,” Aquino pointed out.

The President noted that like in a basketball game, there would be a lot of hurdles and “barricades” in his remaining years in office.

“We know that the remnants of the old system would not just give up. As we come near victory, they will become more desperate in their attempt to derail our agenda,” Aquino further said.

“Let us always side with what is right and what is good for our fellowmen. Let’s side with reason, truthfulness and accountability. Grab each opportunity for the good of the majority. It is only us who will set our own limitations. Open our mind and welcome reasonable suggestions to widen and prolong the reforms we make,” he added.

Peace, economy
Aquino also talked about the government’s peace efforts in Mindanao with the historic synchronized national and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao elections.

He cited the signing of the annex on power sharing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has paved the way for the election of new Bangsamoro leaders in 2016.

Turning to job generation, Aquino reported that under the Training for Work Scholarship Program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), 576,748 have already graduated. Based on data from the Budget department, he said that 62.4 percent of the graduates were able to find a job, a far cry from the 28.5 percent who got jobs from 2006 to 2008.

In the field of information technology and business processes outsourcing (BPO), the employment rate of Tesda graduates was 71 percent.

“With the cooperation of [the department of Labor and Employment, Tesda, Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education] and the private sector, we solved the jobs and skills mismatch that is why it is no longer surprising why we have a lower unemployment rate this year,” Aquino said.

“We also know that there are more calamities that will test our mettle as a nation,” he added.

Pres. BS Aquino’s strategy in fighting corruption is “novel” – blame everything on gloria arroyo et al. His definition of corruption: Alleged misuse of public funds by gloria arroyo et al. Mere allegation with propaganda and trial by publicity = corrupt gma et al. Courts of law are irrelevant, if not hindrance in his fight vs. corruption,

Pres. BS Aquino’s definition of NO corruption: a) disbursement by bs aquino administration of public funds w/o legal basis, only his popularity and “A bad” (no pun intended) advise; b) allowing power company to increase energy rate at unprecedented high, sanctioned no less by erc and doe with doe sec petilla acting as legal consultant to meralco and bs aquino affirming sec’s legal advise; no public funds are involved just the hapless consumers’ money siphoned by greedy pvt. company, ergo no graft, no corruption, in fact it is only right and just to allow the unprecedented power increase because it is accordance with the law – on supply and demand. the people who are at the receiving end of the unprecedented electric rate increase should have the temerity to complain because they are the very same millions of people who gave bs aquino the unprecedented win. YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW!

I admire what rmh said, the others….hmmm?
What puzzled me is that there are so many Filipinos who’s
Intellect were not use to support honest effort by the government with
Results instead of criticism.
Why is it that these people likely have better ideas not to come forward and
Augment what is missing to achieve better results?
Wake up kababayan,if you cannot do something constructive, please don’t
Be destructive!

Di kaya ni Pnoy ang kanyang sinasabi. His work ethic speaks louder than what he thinks. He should not brag about hot-money investments from foreign countries because all these will be wiped-out if foreign investors could see more risk factors. The only reason why they invested hot money because banks and other investment companies offer very high interest rates (3 times more than US and other developed countries) to compensate for the risks present in the economy. No wonder no one would dare to invest in his PPP because of his constant change of investment policies, cancellation of previous contracts and corruption is dealt with accordingly.

The Progress report is good but not impressive.
All these programs should go on a national level and not piece by piece which to me is just like band aids.What our people need is a Universal Health Care System like France, Canada . Nobody need to die because of poverty or go bankrupt because of an illness. We should give every student a chance to pursue their dreams by creating a National student assistance or loan program.We need to emulate Tokyo or Singapore on how they keep their environment clean and sanitary.Check the Kibbutz and settlements of Israel to get some rational ideas oh how to deal and resettle our homeless, squatter dwellers, jobless and destitute citizens.Our Farmers and fishermen need a government cooperative and modern collective system to share technology, machinery, equipment that otherwise would be financially impossible to attain individually.We need to cut the red tape, bureaucracy and the uncalled inefficiency in our system to encourage business and growth .We should make our country attractive to foreign investors like China. We should open our eyes to the world ,and copy their successes.

Good Luck Mr. President and The Force Be With You.It is about time that our country change the style of governance from a corrupt system with little accountability and no quick and outright punishment for our offenders . to a more honest , progressive,and more responsible paradigm of transparency and honesty..We have to expand the role of the NBI or create new agencies dedicated to audits and and sophisticated state of the art intelligence network to catch all this thievery and oversights in all departments, bureaus , offices from the local government all the way to the national level.,. We should employ the FBI or CIA, system of catching all these culprits.Our biggest problem right now is the judiciary. Truckloads of evidences, and one investigation after another,but the justice system is so slow, full of bureaucracy , delay tactics and red tape.. The public is clamoring for quick prosecutions, hearings trials, guilty verdicts and sentencing.

BS Aquino is fighting corruption? Since when? Tens of billions of pesos of taxpayers’ money had been lost to corruption and what has he got to show for it? Nothing, nada, nil, zero. No thieving members of Congress or Department heads had been sent behind bars. All talk, no results. Incompetent!

Either PNoy is hallucinating or he is fooling us again! I don’t buy this BS from BS Aquino.

What success in anti corruption is he talking about? He has kept Gloria in detention and thats it. Come on, corruption has never been worse in this country than in the present administration with peoples tax money squandered with total abandon on lifestyles fit only for the rich and famous and don’t tell me pnoy is innocent and unaware of all these goings on. For the life of me he even has pictures taken with the Napoleses including a solo with the famous daugther whose facebook accounts of her luxuries went viral. On this matter he is in good company with junggoy, revilla and drilon all claiming like him that their pictures together are mere accidents taken in social gatherings. Come on who are you kidding these proves that you are all in cahoots with janette and her ilk. Don’t you notice how confident napoles acted during the senate hearings and she even managed to smile on the way to detention. This only indicates that nothing will happen in all this bruhaha pdaf scam she will just sit tight and when it settles down she will suddenly disappear and live well in america. Look at what happened to the other aquino who was facing charges of the murder of dacer. They will live happily ever after you’ll see!

Our Nation can never and will never attain economic progress that Filipinos and Non-corrupt government officials are dreaming and hoping for, if our economy are controlled by few greedy power providers and businessmen in collusion with corrupt government officials and elected representatives.

Other foreign progressive countries have built State of the Art Combine Cycle Power Plants which reduces power rates and mitigate environmental concerns that attracts foreign and local investors which makes their investment economically viable.

Our Government in cooperation with Congress can put up State of the Art Combine Cycle Power Plants in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao that will not only reduces power rates and mitigate environmental concerns that attracts foreign and local investors but will alleviate the sufferings of poor Filipinos, provide employment and better opportunities, prevent exodus of Filipinos looking for better jobs and hopefully welcome back Filipinos working and living abroad in the near future.

This could be the start and avenue for uniting the Filipino people in realizing and achieving a dream and common endeavor where the PDAF declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court should be put into better use starting this New Year 2014.